TY - JOUR
T1 - Workplace inclusion of employees with back pain and mental health problems
T2 - A focus group study about employees’ experiences
AU - Ree, Eline
AU - Johnsen, Tone Langjordet
AU - Harris, Anette
AU - Malterud, Kirsti
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - Aim: To explore how employees experience workplace inclusion of their colleagues or themselves when having back pain or mental health problems. Methods: Three focus group interviews with a sample of 16 kindergarten employees were conducted. Systematic Text Condensation was used for analysis. Results: The participants emphasized that it was easier to include colleagues whose health problems were specific, especially when they were open about having problems and expressed their needs for accommodation clearly. Discussions revealed difficulties of acceptance and accommodating colleagues with longstanding health problems, when the burden on the other staff members was heavy, and if it had negative consequences for the kindergarten children. Some of the participants had experienced health problems themselves, which was also described as challenging. Having health problems at work often induced feelings of guilt, being a burden to their colleagues, and experiencing a disparity between the ideals and the realities of inclusion practices. Conclusions: Workplace inclusion of employees is difficult when their health problems are unspecific, longstanding, and lead to negative consequences for children or colleagues. System level efforts are necessary to reduce negative stereotypes about employees with health problems and facilitate inclusion practices.
AB - Aim: To explore how employees experience workplace inclusion of their colleagues or themselves when having back pain or mental health problems. Methods: Three focus group interviews with a sample of 16 kindergarten employees were conducted. Systematic Text Condensation was used for analysis. Results: The participants emphasized that it was easier to include colleagues whose health problems were specific, especially when they were open about having problems and expressed their needs for accommodation clearly. Discussions revealed difficulties of acceptance and accommodating colleagues with longstanding health problems, when the burden on the other staff members was heavy, and if it had negative consequences for the kindergarten children. Some of the participants had experienced health problems themselves, which was also described as challenging. Having health problems at work often induced feelings of guilt, being a burden to their colleagues, and experiencing a disparity between the ideals and the realities of inclusion practices. Conclusions: Workplace inclusion of employees is difficult when their health problems are unspecific, longstanding, and lead to negative consequences for children or colleagues. System level efforts are necessary to reduce negative stereotypes about employees with health problems and facilitate inclusion practices.
KW - accommodation
KW - back pain
KW - employees
KW - mental health problems
KW - stigma
KW - Workplace inclusion
U2 - 10.1177/1403494818799611
DO - 10.1177/1403494818799611
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30301425
AN - SCOPUS:85059665507
SN - 1403-4948
VL - 47
SP - 326
EP - 333
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
IS - 3
ER -
